ARONYAN AMONG FAVORITES

A1+
14 February, 2008

"Morelia – Linares" chess championship is to be launched tomorrow. The
Armenian grand master Levon Aronyan will participate in the
championship for the third time. Levon won in this championship
in 2006.

Aronyan is to compete with Vishvanatan Anand, Vasili Ivanchuk, Veselin
Topalov, Peter Lekon, Temur Rajabov, Aleksey Shirov and Magnus Marlens
during the championship. All the mention chess men participated in
"Korus Chess- 2008" championship in Veyk-an-Zee, Holland in January,
which ended with Aronyan’s victory. As compared "Korus Chess – 2008",
in "Morelia – Linares" the chess men will have to compete in two
rounds. The first round will take place on 15-23 February in Morelia,
Mexico and the second round will take place on 28 February – 7 March
in Linares, Spain.

International bookmakers consider Anand the favorite of the
championship, then Aronyan and Kramnik.